Samsung Fascinate user reviews (black, Verizon Wireless)

Pros Easy to use right out of the box. I'm a first-time Android user.
Gorgeous screen. Even makes pics taken with my crappy old phone look great.
I love the slim size. It will fit nicely in my pocket when I don't have a handbag with me.

Cons There's some kind of issue with my verizon.net email address, ironically.

Summary I went to the Verizon store to get a Droid X last night because my old Dare touchscreen stopped working(been waiting for this mistake to die for a long time). The Droid X was on a 10 day backorder., and I didn't want to be without a phone that long. I looked at the Fascinate, and I just fell in love. It's so easy to use. The touch screen is very responsive, and I absolutely adore the Swype texting. I like that it's big, but not humongous like the Droid X. It fits perfectly in my hands.

I'm not much of a techie, and I don't really understand what the big deal is about Bing. It's easy enough to get to Google. I wouldn't let these poor reviews of the phone just because it's locked to Bing influence my decision, even if I'd read them before I bought it. It's quick when online and emailing. I think I'm going to be very happy with it.

Pros Fantastic user interface with Android 2.1, really looking forward to the 2.2 update as well as 3.0
The screen is just gorgeous
Very light-weight and a great size
Great camera

Cons Buttons on the bottom don't stay lit when the phone is in use (really, really frustrating in low-light)
I can hear the reverberation of my voice on the internal parts when I talk on the phone

Summary I was getting extremely tired of AT&T's service. So when it came time to add a line to my plan, I, sadly, broke up with my iPhone and headed over to Verizon. To be honest, if I was going to get a new phone I felt like upgrading to the iPhone 4 wasn't worth it, I should atleast try out something new. I think the Fascinate is a fantastic transition from the iPhone to Android. The interface is similar, but allows for so much more customization and it's super easy to use. My husband is quite technology illiterate and he was picking up the tricks of this interface faster than I was. He loves the phone.

Key features that I love:
As I said, the interface is great. The customization that it offers is face superior to IOS, and while I know I can get this same interface on other droid phones, the design of this phone is what really sold it for me. (Well, that and the buy one get one free offer, to be honest) The phone is very light-weight, and overall a fantastic size. Even with a pretty big case on it, it easily fits into my jeans pockets (not an easy feat if you've seen womens' pants lately). The screen is downright beautiful and large for the phone size. And the camera, both still and video, is great.

Some cons:
The biggest issue for me is the buttons on the bottom of the phone (menu, home, back and search). Even when you're actively using the phone, the backlight shuts off immediately, and since there are no raised indicators for the buttons, it's virtually impossible to find them right away in low light. It always takes me 2 or 3 hits to get the right button. They should remain lit while the phone is actively being used, or at the very least stay on for a full minute after they've been interacted with. Another issue I have is with the power button. It's probably the most-used button on the phone, you power the phone on/off with it and you lock/unlock the phone with it. But it's positioned directly on the opposite side of the phone as the volume toggle. So if you're operating the phone one-handed, you end up messing with the volume instead or fumbling awkwardly so that you don't hit the volume button. The case I got seems to have helped with this, but I still think it's quite an oversight on the product design side. The last issue I have is with the phone itself. When I'm talking I can hear my voice vibrating the internal parts of the phone which essentially creates a tinny echo when I'm talking. It may just be me, I can be a bit of a loud talker, but I have tested it on 3 different Fascinates and had the same problem on all of them. Slightly annoying, but I'm getting use to it.

Now to address the Bing complaints. Yes the entire reason most people get Android phones is for Google. That's why I got mine, and yes it is pretty irksome that Verizon went and preloaded it with Bing. But to come on here and crash the product's rating because of that is just ridiculous and immature. Five minutes of googling and taking an additional 5 minutes to follow a step-by-step tutorial and you can completely reconfigure the phone to default to all Google apps. Super simple and really a complete non-issue. I had my previously stated technology illiterate husband follow the tutorial and he figured it out just fine in under 10 minutes. And it should be noted that the upgrade to Android 2.2 will bring the choice to set your default search engine, problem solved again.

Overall I think this is a fantastic phone, and Verizon's network has proven to be the absolutely best way to go in my area (SF Bay Area). My service is great and my 3G speeds are way faster than they were on AT&T. Android is a great OS and I don't see myself moving to something else anytime in the near future. I also think this is a great phone for those who are just coming into the smartphone world. It's easy to use and fun to customize. All in all, I don't think you can go wrong with this phone.

Pros Beautiful screen, blazing fast processor, sleek package.

Cons Yes, bing IS locked in as the "main" search engine however even before 2.2 comes out, you can still search just as easily with google. Also, it does come pre-programmed with a few too many annoying "buy-me-now" apps that cannot be removed.

Summary Ok, so first I want to say that so many people right off the bat are calling this phone trash because of the bing issue. This should NOT throw you off. I was concerned at first because the look of bing on IE is too cluttered for me however bing is practically IDENTICAL to google as far as phone search engines are concerned. Plus again, it's going to be a non-issue with Android 2.2. Second, I wonder if all those people would be as pissed if it was google locking in their search engine instead. Some of them are just pissed their google didn't get the Big Red nod. I should know; I still remember the good ol' Netscape vs. IE debate with Windows. People like a scandle, even if the two options are the same!

But back to the phone, since that's what you're here for. Here's how I break it down among Verizon's top 3 droid phones sans keyboard. Really, they are all ALMOST identical especially if you are upgrading from a non-droid, non-smart phone. For you nit-pickers: If you like a bigger screen that may not be as pretty, and the best camera, go with a Droid X. If you want a phone thats sexy with a fantastic screen, get a Fascinate. If you can't get past the bing issue, or want something between the two, go with the Incredible. I opt'ed for the Fascinate though I know people with all three and I doubt you'd be dissapointed with any of em!

Pros S-Amoled android camera Processor.....just everything

Cons None......

Summary The phone is fast great and I like how slim and responsive it is......for you idiots who are giving it a bad review because of bing, grow up...OMG BING?!? F-That i hate this phone jeez i could kill myself! get real its a phone....not the ultimate search machine. this is a great buy...better than droid X with its horrible lcd display! btw the gps does work, the samsung support does not suck and the phone is not laggy at all....stop assuming things and talk to me when you learn something about phones.